A North West pensioner has been jailed for 13 years for raping and sexually assaulting a primary schoolgirl 40 years ago.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Kenneth Martland aged 72, decided to confess his offences to police last year after being guided by his newly-found religious belief to hand himself in.

Kenneth Martland

However, after police made contact with the woman who was at the centre of the confession, more serious allegations were made that Martland, who was living in Prospect House in Standish, Wigan, when arrested, had raped her twice and sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions.

Prosecuting barrister Charlotte Crangle said the first offence of rape occurred when the girl was aged between seven and nine and the second occurred when she was aged between eight and 10.

She said: “He wanted to clear his conscience and seek forgiveness and admitted to two lesser sexual assaults when she was aged about 10.

“When he was committing the offences he told the child that he was doing it to show his love for her.”

The victim of his advances read out a tearful impact statement, addressing the pensioner to say: “I will never forgive you for taking away my childhood.”

Defence barrister Anthony O’Donohoe told the court that Martland has received abuse in prison while on remand.

Mr O’Donohoe said: “He has been verbally abused in custody in Forest Bank and there will be the view that he was hedging his bets in his limited admission at first to police but he did go to the police but he opened the floodgates in committing a dreadful crime against this child.”

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Clayson told Martland: “When you were in your early 30s you committed these offences when she was seven and you told her she was special.

“You raped her and this case, to some degree, involves grooming.

“She kept what had happened to herself save one or two occasions, until it all began to unravel and you admitted modest offences of sexual assault.

“You have had a really profound effect on the victim and she must know that she wasn’t to blame.”

Judge Clayson sentenced the man to a total of 13 years in jail, with one year out on licence. He was given three 13-year sentences to run concurrently as well as three more custodial sentences also to run concurrently for additional indecent assault charges.

Two charges will lie on file.

Martland will be eligible to apply for parole after six and a half years.